ESSO PD Refinery Reunion.

Date: 19 November 2011.

Place: Selesa Home Beach Resort at Jalan Pantai, Port Dickson.

Selesa Home Beach Resort.

I was wondering where Selesa Home Beach Resort is and to my amazement it was the former Port Dickson Hotel Regency. The organizers of the PDR Reunion Gathering & Dinner were Ali Kareem and Chin Fun Chee. Both were from the Ammonia Plant Unit.

Though accommodation could be arranged at the Resort, I resorted to stay at the country home of Sabuddin Bidol at PD Villa. Sabuddin specially requested that I put up the night at his bungalow instead of the Hotel. I hit the Elite, Nort South PLUS and the Seremban/PD Highway at 1500 hrs and arrived at PD Villa Telok Kemang at 1630 hrs.

Chin Fan Chee collecting from Chandran the RM 50 for the Reunion.

Pre dinner discussion.

David Yek and me.

Max Gan and J.J cornering Ho Min Foo.

Kan See Mun and Teoh Hui Seng sat for coffee after dinner.

The Reunion Dinner started at 2000 hrs and it was indeed very nice to see old familiar faces again. David Yek Ah Kit and Kuppusamy traveled all the way from Perth Australia for the Reunion. Malek Husein now a Dato came with the Datin drove all the way from Pasir Gudang Johore. Awaluddin whom I had not met since 1974 was also presence. Dato Yaakob and Datin came in after abandoning another function somewhere else. Kan See Mun my former housemate was there too. It was nice to meet Ho Min Foo, the left handed snooker player that was born on the billiard table. J.J Wong (John Jew Wong) was also presence and so was Siew Chin Cheang. Teoh Hui Seng looked aging but still young at heart and still addressing the 18 holes. We did not discuss about the 19^th. Sharo still look the same but Kadir had his tummy expanded. Both lanky J.J (Jayaraj) and Tuan Syed Ali of Human Resources also attended the Reunion. Engineer Manjoor and wife also make their presence felt. Harith Takiman had doubled his size. Chandran asked me whether I am still a Member of the Bar Council. I quit since 1998, so after dinner he had no sparring partner.

It was a gathering of all races, Malays, Chinese, Indians, Arab and Mamaks. We had been patronizing the 1 Malaysia concepts since ESSO Refinery was built in the early 60s. The three (3) ESSO prominent Indian Muslims was also there, Ali Kareem, Kadir 10 – 2 and Sharo (Shariff). There were also unfamiliar faces that joined ESSO after I resigned in 1974 but I nature new bond of friendship with the guys that had played and sweated on the same playing field.

It was a nostalgic reunion when we talked about the good old ESSO days. When the slides of the yester years were played on the screen, we laughed seeing how young we were then. At time we found difficulty recognizing who. As Kadir 10 – 2 said “ESSO was the best training ground”. I fully agreed.

J.J Wong must have told Sharo there's nothing he could do about it.

Left to right: Raman, Dato Malek, Me and Sharo.

Left to right: Ho Min Foo, Sharo, Me and Kan See Mun.

The most prominent physical change observed among us was the head. Some had gone bald or their hair turned silver. As for me, even my goatee is silvery. I need no introduction and to some who joined ESSO after I resigned also knew about my legend in ESSO even though they never met the Rascal. We had a good laugh when each of us stood up, introduced ourselves and recollected the crazy old days in ESSO. I took the trouble to attend this Reunion to meet David Yek, my former shift mate who traveled all the way from Down Under, Perth Australia. Recollecting the good or bad old days, I was a regular Receiver of Warning Letter C as I frequently overflowed the storage tanks. Laughter broke. That was one of the reason I resigned because I did not see any light at the end of ESSO tunnel. Fortunately I made it good when I joined Guthrie. The Rascal turned Angel. I also paid tribute to my former working mates, Chico (Mazlan), Angamuthu and Baharuddin Baba who had left this world. During the early days of ESSO, I cycled along with Chico from Telok Kemang to the Refinery. Finally, to those who were presence that night I called to maintain the strong relationship of comradeship.

Guess.....who's heads?

Group Photograph.

Hampers donated by Yeo Yan Teng.

We had a group photograph taken and followed with a lucky draw. Hampers were donated by Yeo Yan Teng from Singapore who was unable to make to the night. Kan See Mun, Dato Malek and me was among those lucky that night.

Lucky me.

Too heavy for Dato Malek to handle.

Kan See Mun smiling away with Kadir beside him.

Me and the Chief Organizer, Ali Kareem.

Sandwiched between the giants, Sabuddin and Awaluddin.

Before going back to PD Villa we had a short nightcap of “teh tarik” at the new township in front of the Hospital. Once upon a time that place was a mangrove swamp.

It was a successful reunion, thank you Ali and Chin Fun Chee but I was rather disappointed that many who reside in Port Dickson did not care to attend. After all it was only RM 50, why so stingy about it? Anti social or have they joined the Taliban or Al Qaeda? From reliable sources they prefer to attend the Annual Retirees Dinner organizes by ESSO which is free. To me it is not the RM 50 that matters. It is the friendship that counts and certainly worth more than RM 50. Among the Malays from the Refinery Unit, I realized only Dato Yaakob, Dato Malek and the no Dato, that’s me, attended the Reunion. Where are the other Malays from the Refinery Unit? Except for Chico and Baharuddin who had kicked the bucket, the rest are still kicking around. I hate to mention their names. LIMA PULUH RINGGIT, BOLEH MISKIN KA?

Sabuddin Bidol - thank you for the sponsorship, the accommodation and the roti canai breakfast. That's what forty five (45) years of friendship mean.

Hope to be present, God Willing, at the 2012 Reunion Dinner.